Traveling through Illinois

[omaharj]

Sunday I leave for a ten day trip to Pennsylvania. I'll be driving and for about three hours I'll be in Illinois.(I know, just go around ) My plan is to have a gym bag with my two cases,one metal with a cable and one Plano,in the car with me. Before I go into Illinois, I'll stop at a travel center,disarm myself, split the gun and mag,lock them in separate cases,and put them in the trunk. When
I hit Indiana I'll put the cases in the gym bag, get behind the wheel, and rearm. I figure as long as I'm parked somewhat privately,no one should see anything to be alarmed about. Anyone see flaws to this?  RJ

[SemperFiGuy]

Omaharj

Please allow me to respectfully recommend that you DO NOT travel through Illinois packing heat in your vehicle in any form whatsoever without first downloading and thoroughly reading the following document:

http://www.isp.state.il.us/docs/ptfire.pdf

It's fifteen (15) pages of about six (6) point type font..............

But everything you need to know is in there.    This Little Gem, for example:
 
                                                       -------------------------------------

"............It is recommended that, in order to be in compliance with all statutes, all firearms be
transported:
1. Unloaded and,
2. Enclosed in a case, and
3. By persons who have a valid FOID card.
Unless specifically exempted from UUW, a person commits......"

                                                    -----------------------------------

(go look it up to see what a person commits.   What is UUW???   And what is an FOID card???   Hmmmm???)

There are three (3) separate agency sets of statutes applying to firearms in Illinois.

None of us on the NFOA forum wants to have to come to visit you in Illinois.


sfg

[bullit]

A few years ago I spoke to a SGT at the ISP HQ.  He was VERY helpful.  Said unloaded, cased out of reach and ammo separate and it encased you are good to go.  I'd give a call again to update.  Again, I was impressed how helpful they were i.e. they ain't the Chicago branch of the Regime.

[omaharj]

Thanks Guys. SFG, I'm not hunting in Illinois,just passing through,so I'm basing my requirements on the Firearm Owners Protection Act. As a precaution, I've printed out a copy of it in case a police officer decides he's never heard of it. It's pretty specific,I can stop for food and gas,and I have to keep the gun locked up and it has to be unloaded. I'll put the empty clips in a separate locked case with boxed ammo.
My main concern is the actual transfer of the gun from my hip to the trunk. I didn't know if anyone had come up with a smoother way to do it. I was hoping there was "the usual procedure" that someone would fill me in on. Illinois makes me nervous. hehehe. I'll call ISP now.  RJ

[SemperFiGuy]

OmahaRJ:

May you have Safe Travelin'.

sfg

[bullit]

Get out of your car at the IA line, unload, secure, etc. because you are legal there.   Cross river into "Occupied Territory", proceed through state to the other side.  You'll be fine.  Knock on wood in all my travels through IL, I've never seen an ISP.

[NENick]

I might add - don't break any of the laws in the occupation zone that you might otherwise not worry about elsewhere (speeding, signaling, passing). 

[Husker_Fan]

While not required by the law, I'd strongly consider filling up in the Quad cities so you don't even need to stop until you get to Indiana.

[Kendahl]

Due to a difference in state gasoline taxes between Iowa and Illinois, it will be cheaper for you to fill up before leaving Iowa. For the same reason, gas should also be cheaper in Indiana.

[Dtrain323i]

I wish I'd seen this last week (considering I'm a former Illinois resident and gun owner). You only need the FOID if you're an Illinois resident. Gym bag with guns and ammo is fine, just toss it in your trunk before you hit the border. Courts have also ruled that unloaded and in your locked glove compartment is also fine as far as transporting goes. I go back to Illinois quite frequently and will bring my guns with me to go shooting.

Also UUW= Unlawful Use of Weapon. It's their catch-all gun offense. If you **** up with a gun in any way you'll catch a UUW charge. Carrying would be a UUW charge if you're caught.

Whats really unfortunate is that Illinois on the whole is pretty pro-gun. It's just that Chicago holds a LOT of power in Springfield. They have 28 spots in the state house and 17 in the state senate. They've been trying to pass CCW in Illinois for years but it never makes it out of committee. All because Chicago dems squash it.

It'd be like Omaha owning 30% of the unicam.

[RLMoeller]

It'd be like Omaha owning 30% of the unicam.

Or Omaha owning the Judiciary Committee with 5 out of 8 seats?

Nebraska is kinda big to only have ONE JudComm member NOT from Lincoln or Omaha, IMHO.

[Dtrain323i]

Or Omaha owning the Judiciary Committee with 5 out of 8 seats?

Nebraska is kinda big to only have ONE JudComm member NOT from Lincoln or Omaha, IMHO.

Just imagine the Unicam where one out of every 3 members is a clone of Brenda Council. And they all vote the same way.